Grisanti will back Compassionate Care Act

Submitted

State Sen. Mark Grisanti,
R-I-Buffalo, announced Monday he will support the Compassionate Care Act, which
would legalize the use of medical marijuana to treat certain diseases.

Under the legislation, licensed
health care professionals would strictly supervise any use of medical marijuana.
This stands to be the toughest and most regulated legislation in the nation.

"To a great extent, my
decision to support this legislation resulted from my conversations with the
Conte family, who are constituents of mine," Grisanti explained. "Anna
Conte, who is 8 years old, suffers from Dravet syndrome, an extremely rare form
of epilepsy."

"Anna's illness causes
seizures of such regularity and severity that her illness is considered
terminal," Grisanti continued. "Marijuana could be the only drug to
help her. It's time to put politics aside, and put people first."

The Conte family lives in Orchard
Park.

"Our entire family applauds
Sen. Grisanti for having the courage to lead on this issue that is so crucial
to so many people," said Wendy Conte, Anna's mother. "Passage of this
legislation will ease our daughter's suffering, as well as the daily torment
those who love her go through."

In a 1997 article in the New
England Journal of Medicine, editor Dr. Jerome P. Massirer explained inhaling
THC - the active ingredient in marijuana - is more effective than taking the
synthetic pills first approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
and the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1986.

"The positive benefits of
medical marijuana are well-documented," Grisanti said. "This
legislation will improve the quality of life for seriously ill New Yorkers by
providing them with the relief they need."